At some point on Tuesday, Copper was hanging out in his Kittitas County, Washington, pasture when the earth beneath his hooves gave way. In that moment, the horse found himself suddenly at the bottom of a 15-foot-deep sinkhole.

From a distance, it might have looked like Copper had simply vanished - but fortunately, his ordeal didn't go unnoticed by his owner, who called for help.

Soon, a crew from Kittitas County Fire District #7, along with a team from a local excavation company, was at the scene to assist in Copper's rescue. His veterinarian, Dr. Sam Taylor, was on hand, too, to make sure the horse remained safe throughout the extraction effort.

She even descended into the sinkhole to give Copper a mild sedative to keep him calm.

Here's the moment Copper walked free out of what easily could have been his early grave - appearing a little shaken, but happy to be alive.

Afterward, Dr. Taylor found the horse to be in good health, though he was cold, anxious and dehydrated. (The vet told The Dodo that Copper is a naturally lean horse, but that his especially frail appearance in the video above is due to dehydration and his body's reaction to stress. She assured us that Copper is loved and well treated by his owner.)

People who helped Copper out of the hole clearly weren't the only ones who had been concerned about him.